A Kinrowan Estate story: Biscuits

Okay, let’s make one thing clear: an American-style biscuit is not the biscuit you find here in Scotland, which is more akin to the thing Yanks call a cookie. That biscuit is a sort of bread made with flour, water, baking soda or yeast, and, well, that’s it. The ones made here by Mrs. Ware and her talented staff most likely were first made here a century ago when we hosted for a summer a number of American farm workers interested in learning how a Scottish farming Estate worked.

They were a very tasty addition to the baked goods here as they made for most perfect hand meals with such fillings as smoked ham and cheese, or, when the weather was cooler so the contents didn’t spoil, baked turkey and our own mayonnaise. The ones we make are a good four or so inches across and each part of the biscuit is easily a full inch thick.

The best ones I think are with butter, lightly salted of course, and jam, usually strawberry but raspberry and even blackberry have been known to meet with my favour, especially just out of the oven, particularly on a sharply cold Autumn morning when the all too fast approaching Winter means every able-bodied staffer is going to be putting in a long day on chores around the Estate.

So let’s head down to the kitchen to get one of those freshly baked biscuits with whatever jam you like and butter, along with a coffee, or tea if you prefer. Though we’re pressing cider now and that’s a nice pairing as well!

About Iain Nicholas Mackenzie

I’m the Librarian for the Kinrowan Estate. I do love fresh brewed teas, curling, English mysteries and will often be playing Scandinavian or Celtic music here in the Library.

I’m a violinist too, so you’ll me playing in various contradance band such as Chasing Fireflies and Mouse in the Cupboard as well as backing my wife Catherine up on yearly Christmas season tours in the Nordic countries.